1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the treating of paint waste solids and in particular to a method of and apparatus for collecting and disposing of waste paint solids contained in an aqueous medium used to wash the paint from the extracted atmosphere of a paint spraying booth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional methods used for the recovery, on an automatic basis, of waste paint solids from high production rate spray booths involve the use of treatment tanks of large capacity in which the waste paint solids are constrained to agglomerate as a raft on the surface of the liquid medium, or to sink and accumulate as a sludge on the bottom of the tank. Typically a tank for use with a spray booth having a length of 100 ft could have a capacity of 1500 cu.ft and dimensions of 25 ft .times. 15 ft .times. 4 ft. Such a tank together with the necessary mechanical scumming or dredging mechanisms represents a high initial cost and the use of considerable space.
Smaller systems rely upon manual removal of accumulated paint from the tank, this being an unpleasant and time consuming operation.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of and apparatus for the collecting or accumulation and disposal of waste paint solids contained in an aqueous medium used to wash the paint from the extracted atmosphere of a paint spraying booth which reduces considerably the space required for the apparatus and avoids the need for mechanical scumming or dredging mechanisms.